Orion's Horsehead Nebula--Royal Observatory, Edinburgh

Parent Recommendations

Ted Taylor:
Nevin really enjoyed your Grade-Level tournament--it was better competition than at the state championships!

Zhunquin Wang:
My son, Eddie Wang, went to 5 Chess Odyssey camps in summer 2003. By the end of the summer, Eddie improved his chess skills significantly. He was able to play in the Oregon Open and got 2 wins and one draw out of six games against adults. Pete is a great teacher for young children. He explains complex chess thinking in plain language, which Eddie can understand and remember. His classes are well-organized and prepared. Pete also cares about his students. In the Oregon Open, he reminded Eddie before the game started. Eddie and I are so happy with Pete and his Chess Odyssey program. 

Pearl Yu:
Thank you for putting together the wonderful chess seminar that Corbin participated in. It was definitely a very rewarding week for him!

Galina Golant:
Thank you for organizing Fresh Air Blitz.  It was great!

Sue Rosenbaum:
My son David has worked with Pete Prochaska for four years, both as a private student and a member of the Westside Homeschool chess club. In that time, Pete has taught him many lessons about chess and about life. When David started with Pete, he was a somewhat timid 6th grader. He did not play a tournament until 7th grade, and when his first tournament game did not go well, he was angry and ready to leave. Pete was there for him, as he always is when his students play tournaments. I don't know what Pete said to him, but he came back and made a respectable finish to the tournament. David has since played many tournaments and has learned to be a gracious loser as well as a gracious winner. He went on to take first place at the 8th grade regionals the following year, and third place in the state tournament.  

Pete is a wonderful teacher who has a gift for explaining complex ideas in a clear manner. David has blossomed under his tutelage. Pete is always extremely well prepared and puts a lot of thought and work into both his private and group lessons.  He cares greatly about his students and about the game of chess. We were very touched when David's Bar Mitzvah took place on the weekend of the adult state chess tournament and Pete skipped the tournament to be there for David. 

Pete exemplifies a winning attitude in life as well as in chess, and he conveys this to parents and students. His favorite saying is "You may not like it, but you've got to play the position on the board." We have seen Pete recover from setbacks in his personal life and he is a shining example to his students. I feel he has been a significantly positive influence in my son's life, and that we are lucky to have Pete as David's coach and friend.

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